Wow, it’s Labor Day and the Braves are still relevant. Okay, be honest, raise your hand if you really thought the Braves would be in first place in the NL East on this date when the season began.

Yeah, me neither. Like everyone else, I expected the Nationals to be well on their way to wrapping up their third straight NL East title.

Surprise! Both the upstart and surprising Braves and the young Phillies have come back from baseball irrelevancy to compete for the mantle of Beast of the East.

While the Braves are currently atop the NL East (76-60) with a 4-game lead over the 2nd place Phils, there is still a lot of important baseball left in season. Now we will find out who has the fortitude to fight through the fatigue that comes in a 162 game season.

For a lot of the young players, playing in September is a new experience. Their brethren in the minors will close out their seasons this week. Most will be packing their bags for home while a lucky few will get a nice pay boost while accumulating service time in the Show.

Some additions have already made it into the Braves clubhouse as the rosters expanded:

Lane Adams

Touki Toussaint

Bryse Wilson

Rene Rivera

Kyle Wright

Preston Tucker

The Braves reacquired Preston Tucker from the Reds, but he won’t be assigned until room is created for him on the 40-man roster.

Micheal Reed was added but was placed on the 60 day DL with a lower back strain. (That was quick!)

So, who else looks to be added soon? Braves relievers José Ramirez and Arodys Vizcaíno are on the 60-day DL and were assigned to Braves affiliate Rome to complete their rehab. Both would be big adds if healthy.

Austin Riley

The name on the lips of most Braves fans is Austin Riley but given the current log jam on the Braves 40-man roster, I doubt he will be added but you just never know with Thoppy.

So hang on Braves fans! Playing meaningful games in September is a reality for the Bravos and, while the Braves appear to be ahead of schedule, you never know what lies ahead. It’s been a great season thus far so why not enjoy the rest of the ride?

The Braves reacquired Preston Tucker from the Reds, but he won’t be assigned until room is created for him on the 40-man roster.

That path was cleared when Dustin Peterson was DFA’d. Hopefully the underperforming DPetey will clear waivers (likely) and be outrighted to AAA. I’m not sure what the great purpose behind Tucker’s re-acquisition was. He’s not a sorely needed RH power bat, and he wasn’t hitting any better than the disappointing Adam Duvall, who appears clueless at the plate in ATL. But it didn’t cost anything of real value, so whatever.

Other roster manipulations over the weekend…

As Gil mentioned, Michael Reed was added, then placed on the 60-day DL with a back strain. I think that’s the position player equivalent of “shoulder strain”. It did accomplish adding Ryan Flaherty back to the 40-man and expanded active rosters.

There is not a single currently injured Brave on the 10-day DL… all are on the 60-day – Michael Reed plus 8 pitchers, including Viz and Jose Ramirez, both of whom are said to be progressing with an eye toward activation sooner than later. So the DFA tag still looms large for those we have already mentioned, being Rio, Wes Parsons, and Adam McCreery (although I think they really want to hold onto the 6’9″ McCreery if possible). Unless there is another acquisition to be made, and that’s definitely not out of the question, we will likely only need 2 of those spots. But with no real RH threat on the bench, I’d think Austin Riley still has to be a possibility.

Anyway, we should see the final wave of callups today as Gwinnett wrapped up their season yesterday. That may not be any more than Max Fried, Luiz Gohara and Chad Sobotka.

Fine work there Gil! 🙂
Yep, always nice to have a clean slate…I feel odd looking at work (even though the young guys will watch stuff like Soccer on a split screen on their monitors!) even odder posting, but I do from time to time on breaks.
What I find irksome is that when looking at the last blog, it took at least a minute before I can read the blog, as the page fills in. at work on a 6 year old computer? 10-15 seconds…sigh…

I am a bit confused by all the Ryan Flaherty, Preston Tucker moves….at least with Preston, he could run into one…but still, taking up roster spots with them…
and V, why put Michael Reed on the 60 day dl, than the roster, if he wasn’t hurt? I mean, .363 BA, and .459 OBP….if I were him, I’d be very PO’ed….

I saw just an inning of the rebroadcast, and Touki was amazing in the first inning!

and V, why put Michael Reed on the 60 day dl, than the roster, if he wasn’t hurt?

Maybe he was… I don’t know. But the timing sure was convenient when there had already been mention of adding Flaherty back onto the roster.

Why the need or want for Flaherty and/or Tucker? I can’t answer that. I can see bringing Tucker back into the organization as he’s young and still has time to further develop. And he absolutely helped put the Braves into the position they are in currently with his play in April.

So maybe that’s it. Admittedly, without the play of Flaherty and Tucker early in the season, this team might not be leading the division. So is this September run a reward for their early contributions? Maybe it is. And if that’s the answer, I’m really good with that.

now, compare this to the Red Sox team. 139 games, no one on the Sox has played more than 131 games (J.D. Martinez) now, could be everyone has been injured enough to miss a few games. Again, FF is legitimately very tough, every hit by pitch on his hand/wrist came back the next day, but should he have?
Cleveland has played 137 games, and could be I am seeing old stats, but it looks like 2 players have played 135 games
Houston,
138 games
Alex Bregman has played 135 games, no one else more than 128 games.
I could go on, but I’ve wasted enough time 😛

Gwinnett closed out their season yesterday, and both Viz and JoRam made single inning appearances, neither yielding a run. Not sure what the schedule is for those 2 now that the minor league seasons are done.

Those 3 games are Weds. @ Lexington (KY) and Fri../Sat. @ home. Rome is just an hour or so north of SunTrust Park. It’s conceivable that Viz and JoRam could each continue their rehab stints with the Rome team. I’ve not heard or read anything specific about their respective appearances yesterday, so I have no idea how close either would be to returning to the ML bullpen.

Looks like we will avoid facing David Price tomorrow. He’s been dealing with a wrist issue and is said to be good to start, but Alex Cora wants to avoid having him swing a bat. Thus he’ll bump back one day and avoid the start in an NL park.

To me the big question is if Austin will get a look see this September or if the Braves will stash him another year.

If they choose to give him a look it won’t cost an option or anything. It would only require a 40-man roster spot. He won’t get regular play, so the only question is if they think he could help the bench. I wouldn’t mind seeing it, but I’m leaning against them feeling the same way. He’s had a great season. They may just let him go on into the off-season feeling the success.

glad for a few reasons low class gutter snipe David Price won’t be in pitching against the bravos…
1, don’t want to see him beat the braves, and 2…see what I said above.
Never apologized to HOF’er Dennis Eckersley after the Eck dared criticize a Red Sox player who had a bad minor league rehab start. And it was weak criticism at that. but, as you all probably remember, he confronted him inside the plane , got in his face, to the cheers of some players, and his then manager never said anything….this year, after his typical sucking for the Sox much of the season ended, he said he had made some changes and a reporter asked him what they were, and he said, in his typical classy style, that kids everywhere could look up to…you figure it out…
He and Eck may have both been pitchers for the Red Sox, but Price will never be a HOF’er

Gil, yup…was feeling poorly so went to bed soon after Newcomb was taken out. I am sure the Sox were wondering how they hadn’t scored more runs…just as I am sure the braves were wondering how they kept leaving runners on and not scoring….
so, broken record that I am, still think FF and Nick M are helping the club right now?
Phils 3 games back. We are lucky they have stunk of late as well…

oh, and I looked up David Price’s numbers…wow, I was wrong. Not that he has necessarily been a #1, but he wasn’t as bad as I recalled him being…I guess he’s turned it around at the end of the last two seasons, cuz I remember seeing 4+ ERAS at one point.
Still, a lousy human being…I think I am really bitter about him since I thought he was one of the good guys, perhaps he was when he first came up, and then he started to believe the press clippings….

This control issue is the thing he battled all the way through the minors. He had improved when he was first called up, and showed great improvement again earlier this season, but as you mentioned, Gil, has lost it again. It’s not good. The only positive thing I can think of is that Julio seems to be effective again. But at this point, Newcomb will won’t be in any post-season rotation.

IMO, Snit should skip Newk’s next turn and fill it with Kyle Wright for one start. It’s not like he doesn’t have enough arms in the bullpen to compensate.

Positives to take away from last night:
#1 Another day is removed from the calendar.
#2 Freddie and Nick had 2 of the Braves 4 hits.
#3 Ozzie took a walk.
#4 Kyle Wright looked great over 2 innings.
#5 The sun came up this morning and we get to do it again today at 12:10pm ET.

Last night as I was watching a part of the game, it struck me that Johan Camargo has actually become a pretty important part of this 2018 team. Not only is he an incredible fielder at 3B, he’s 3rd in AVG, 3rd in OBP, and 4th in SLG. Also, believe it or not, he’s 4th in HR and 3rd in RBI.

Are we sure he’s going back to the bench in 2019?

That raises 2 questions for me. First, is he a better option at SS than Dansby? And I think the answer to that is no. Sure Dansby has had some struggles a times again this season. But Dansby does alot of things on the field, some seen and some unseen, that just make him a valuable team member. He’s a ballplayer, period. He’s a building block. And he’s still just 24. There’s still time for more improvement.

So how do we keep both Johan and Dansby in the lineup and still add RH bopper Austin Riley?

Well, we are losing a RF after this season.

I’ll let you all ponder and discuss that one before expounding any further. 😀

Watching Adam Duval play right field I cannot help but think it was one of those trades that just didn’t work out for the Braves. Three straight misplays on balls hit to right. They won’t go in the books as errors but, well, you know…

gee….a real shame I couldn’t listen to this game at work….
but, we made history guys! 😛

MLB teams were 487-0 when leading by 6 runs entering the 8th inning this season.. That streak came to an end as the @RedSox erase a 7-1 deficit to beat the @Braves, 9-8..— Kevin Negandhi (@KNegandhiESPN) September 5, 2018

So, after a bone crushing, mind numbing loss, the Braves are no worse off than they were yesterday as the both the Nats and the Phillies also lose. Another day off the calendar and magic number at 21.

So, in breaking down the game… I say we can hang a set of goat horrns on Adam Duval. He misplayed three balls hit to him in the eight inning. To be sure, there is always lots of blame to go around in a loss but with a young reliever like Winkler on the mound, losing confidence in your defense doesn’t help.

Now, I will no longer speak of this game… It’s in the past…

but, if Thoppy wants to DFA Duval to make a spot for Riley, I’m okay with that.

Speaking of RF (in a distant discourse), did you know that RAJ played more games in RF in the minors than he did in LF? Of course, he played more games in CF than either, but that’s not the point. My point is, he has plenty of experience in RF… where there will be a hole this upcoming offseason.

Riley made huge strides in his defense at third and there are no longer concerns about his ability to stay at the hot corner, where his plus arm has always played well. He runs better than people might think at first glance, and some feel his athleticism would allow him to move to left field if there was a need or someone blocking him in Atlanta.

I think it’s worth consideration at least. Johan has proven he has great daily value to this team beyond just a versatile bench piece. Plus, Charlie Clutch fits the super-sup role as well if not better than anyone around the league.

If young Riley could transition to LF and continue to mash from the right side, he might just be the answer to alot of questions while allowing Johan to play daily. And let’s face it. If Kyle Schwarber can play LF, Austin Riley can play LF.

And the best byproduct is that it would allow A-Train to concentrate his resources on the catching position.

One guy I still really like, that the Yankees might part with this offseason…(I know, doesn’t solve the Riley situation) wonder who you could get him for in a trade? Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier likely won’t be able to return this season after suffering a setback in his efforts to return from a concussion, manager Aaron Boone told reporters including Marc Carig of The Athletic (Twitter link). The timing is poor for Frazier, who turns 24 today. With Aaron Judge still working his way back to health, this might have been a prime chance for Frazier to receive an extended opportunity. He has only appeared in 15 MLB games this year but seems in line for more after producing an excellent .311/.389/.574 slash with ten home runs in his 216 plate appearances at Triple-A.

I remember when Yunel Escobar faked getting hit by a pitch in order to get on base, the replays clearly showed he was not hit. It was not long afterwards that Yunel was traded away. I think Bobby Cox was of the mind he could not trust him.

Yes Vee, the dreaded west coast trip. Late night baseball for us easterners. I will play it by ear but will not lose too much sleep over any of the games as my participation will have zero effect on the outcome.

As well as the Braves have done this season, (first place currently in the NL East) I think everyone would agree that they could get better, whether that means better pitching on better position players, the answer is the Braves brain trust has to do their due diligence. As much as I like and appreciate what Nick Markakis has done for for this team this season, I would not be terrible upset if Thoppy allows him to walk at the end of 2018.

Adam Jones would be a great addition to the Braves methinks. Austin Riley is still an unknown quantity but would fit in well with the Braves old philosophy of adding one rookie a year to your roster. What a contending team never does is play two or more rookies at the same time.

Fact, rookies make mistakes, rookies fold under pressure… I know, not all rookies are fallible but most are and the added pressure of the play-offs make players tighten up. (cough.. Brooks Conrad)

So, putting together a World Series caliber team takes time and effort as well as luck and money… lots and lots of money… The Red Sox have not become the team they are because they are cheap.

So, my advice to Thoppy is make the best trade you can to add an all-star catcher and tweek the rest of the roster adding a quality closer and solid front line starter.

So, my advice to Thoppy is make the best trade you can to add an all-star catcher and tweek the rest of the roster adding a quality closer and solid front line starter.

#1 Trade for JT Realmuto
#2 Sign Craig Kimbrel
#3 wait…

I think you may already have your “solid front line starter” in Kevin Gausman. Remember what Jake Arietta became for the Cubs when he moved over from Baltimore as a relative unknown? Gausman has been that good in 5 starts in Atlanta. I’d rather re-sign Anibal Sanchez and go with what we have… just a year older.

Aw. I was hoping he might slip through. Well, I hope he stays healthy and has a successful career. Truth is, he wasn’t going to crack this roster. He’s not playing ahead of Ender or RAJ, and A-Train will fill RF (or LF as it may be) with a more impactful bat. A move was honestly in his best interests.

The bullpen wasn’t awful; the D’backs just have a really good hitting lineup. It was especially good to see the young team hang so tough after a gripping loss the day before. It speaks volumes about their resiliency and their leadership.

It’s hard to find any nuggets on either Viz or JoRam, but if you know where to look…

Both are still on rehab assignment, and the only team in the Braves’ system still playing is their low-A affiliate, Rome, who are in their league playoffs. And lo and behold (Do you ever see either of those two words apart form the other?) each rehabbing hurler made a 1 inning appearance in Wednesday’s game, each with a scoreless slate. Rome plays Game 2 of their series tonight and Game 3 tomorrow in Rome. It would not surprise me to see both relievers activated by the time the Braves get to the coast.

Yes, I’d seen that line but wondered if they were headed to Zona or San Fran. I guess it will be Frisco from what you are saying.

Crazy opine in the Athletic today with a proposed trade between the Angles and the Braves… 2 years of Mike Trout for Ender, Newk, Austin Riley, Touki, Ian Anderson and Kyle Wright… LOLOLOLO… Realmuto would be cheaper and just as effective, plus, before you trade away your future, you dip into your cash reserve and hire either Machato or Harper…

On Anibal Sanchez, he pitched great the fist time through the order but the Snakes had him figured out the second time through, it’s why he might be best suited for long relief and spot starting. I don’t think I would want to depend on him being my number three starter next season.

Braves reliever Jonny Venters, one of the few major league pitchers to ever come back from three Tommy John surgeries — he’s actually had “3 1/2”; the doc wouldn’t do a fourth full-on TJ because the bone’s been drilled too many times — has pitched the past two days and four of past six, and he went in and told manager Brian Snitker, “I’m good to go.”

Is it just me, or was there just a little extra mustard on the dog this weekend knowing that Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte and Touki Toussaint all played major roles in the 3 wins in ARI?

Thank you Dave Stewart. We love you.

Upon being fired as the Snakes’ GM in 2016, just 1 year after being Coppy’s BFF, this is what Stewart said: “They may think I’m going to blast people, but I’m not. It is what it is. It’s that side of the business. To be honest with you, I’m kind of relieved. Quite frankly, I’ve got better things to do.’’

I think he meant to say he had things he could do better. 😉

So what is Dave Stewart doing these days? Uh… this past Spring Training he was a “special instructor” for Oakland. On the Field. Far away from the front office.

It is why I cringe any time someone proposes one of those five for one trades like the one mentioned for Mike Trout. To be sure, Trout is a great player but exactly how many pennants have the Angels won with him on their roster?

I would rather see the Braves go hard after Machado or Harper…Yes, it would cost a draft pick and a boatload of cash but at least not a bevy of prospects and a boatload of cash.

And as we have seen, you can never have too much pitching…

So, it was an emotional roller coaster watching the Braves in Arizona, worse if you were a D’Backs fan.

I hate the idea of going into San Fran against a team which has lost 8 straight. So, get a series win and get out of town.

The Nits will be playing the Phillies this week. They better get those games in quick or they will be playing triple headers at the end of the season.

I was so confused I somehow thought they were going for a series split…Mandela effect…something. really weird. Just seemed to flip by with the braves stinkin’….like yesterday, saw Touki pitch well, then lose it…then Luke seemed to ruin our chances…so, watched “Tailspin” a depressing Alice Faye movie about female pilots in air races (how do you screw that up?)
then the game was still on…and got to see that awesome 9th inning!!!!
3 homers, amazing!
Camargo reminds me of someone….David Justice, not in his stance, (and DJ was not a switch hitter) but slightly in looks, and even more in confidence that borders on cockiness. of all the hitters, he’s the ONE I want when the game is on the line…Braves might have one another W.S. if Justice wasn’t traded away…

Homeboy Upstairs reminiscing about that one: “I kept going ‘David, I’m not going to trade you, you’re too valuable, I like you too much you’re one of my favorites. But we got to the point where we needed to clear some money, and I had to manage our payroll. We needed money to get pitching, and pitching was sort of our secret sauce at the major league level, and that was a hard deal. Not only David, but Marquis Grissom in the same deal. They were two great guys. I traded a lot of really good people, but those guys meant so much to the organization. David for a long time, Marquis for a shorter time. I’d say that was the toughest [trade to make].”

Remember, Ted Turner merged all his holdings with Time-Warner in 1995. That was a key moment in the timeline of this team. That was the end of the Big-spending Braves, and the beginning of the Budget-minded Braves.

JS used the his suddenly limited budget to re-sign impending FA John Smoltz at 4 yrs/$31M, a then record-setting contract for pitchers.

Essentially, Johnny Sunshine had to choose between Justice and Smoltz, as he could not afford to keep both with Dave J set to earn another $26.8M over the remaining 4 years of his deal. So that was the real trade… 4 more years of Smoltz instead of 4 more years of Justice.

And thus, after consistently being in the Top 3 in the league in payroll for a few years, the Braves steadily dropped to 7th by the time both Smoltz and Justice were set to test FA again.

Makes you kind of miss the Turner years, doesn’t it?

For perspective, the Braves 2018 payroll ranks just 21st in all of baseball. The Red Sox lead the way with $235,649,368. That’s alot of coin.

Also, the lineup will have no Buster Posey and no Pablo Sandoval. Both are on the DL and out for the remainder of 2018. Two more starters, SS Brandon Crawford and 1B Brandon Belt are dealing with day-to-day injuries and not 100%.

The 4th place Giants are 68-76 for a reason. We just need to keep the gas to the floor and come home to STP and the last home stand of the season with a reasonable cushion in the division.

As for Newk tonight, it’s a very important start for him and the Braves. He has to prove that won’t melt down, literally, for a 6th straight start or his post-season rotation chances will slide away with his grip.

The Rome Braves were eliminated from playoff action over the weekend, bringing the last Braves minor league affiliate season to a close. I expect to hear that Viz is being added to the ML roster at any time. As for Jose Ramirez, he had a disastrous outing on Friday and probably will be done for the year.

V, thank you SO much for your prayers! God is turning the storm. It’s going to fall apart. I’m actually excited to see Him work!

No, we’re staying put – for several reasons. One, I know in my heart that it isn’t necessary. I’m completely trusting God. Two, with several million people being evacuated from the coasts of three states, there isn’t anywhere to go. Three, financial constraints. Hotels, gas, food, etc is very expensive. We’d have to go a long way – somewhere down in Georgia, Tennessee, etc, with two skittish cats. I realized that it was much better to just not have a storm.

Remember the terrible storm that arose on the sea of Galilee? The disciples were terrified. Jesus was asleep. Asleep! When Peter woke Him, Jesus spoke only 3 words to the storm: Peace! Be still. And the storm died instantly.

He gave us (those who believe in Him) the authority to use His name. When we speak in His name, it is the same as if He had spoken Himself. The words have been spoken. The ‘immovable’ Bermuda High is moving. Florence is turning and will fall apart. I’m eternally thankful that I know Jesus and He knows me.

LOL, Something about Washington and weather related mishaps. So, DC cancels a game due to the threat of rain and now they can’t play because it did rain but the Philly ground crew took the weekend off. 🙂

Now that I think about it, it makes sense now why Thoppy brought Rio up and that Snit immediately used him as a PH yesterday. The team will need a 40-man spot on Friday for Viz, and Rio is a prime candidate to be DFA’d… and possibly dealt. He’s being showcased.

Nats are up 2-0 over the Phils in the 5th inning of the first game of their double dip today. It’s conceivable that the Braves could be up by 16 games before they even hit the field today… or at least by the 2nd or 3rd inning.

It’s also entirely possible that the Magic Number could drop to 12 after tonight.

AAAGGGHHH. OK… let me just simply try to correct all those errors in one statement.

It’s conceivable that the Braves could be up by 6 games before they even hit the field today. Not 16 games at all, and possibly 6.5 by the end of the night. But 6… 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 by the time they hit the field in San Fran.

Erick Fedde is a pretty good looking young pitcher. Nice to have pitching in your pipeline. Scary for the rest of the league too.

Look for the Nationals to regroup and make a big push next season.

The Phillies are currently 3.5 games up on the Nationals, not withstanding the outcome of today’s game. If the Nats sweep the double header, they could only be 1.5 games behind the Phillies. Best hope for the Braves is to just keep winning. Then it won’t make any difference what the Philles and the Nats do.

CL, I did not know that about Jack Buck, but he was a great man, so it doesn’t surprise me…great clip thanks for posting it!

I probably mentioned a spring training game I went to in 1981 (the day President Reagan was shot!) and the players were going to be on the field for photograph day. Most of the starters didn’t bother to come out on the field, and Dane Iorg, one of those 4th outfielders that seemed to be a good enough to be regular everyday guy, was a guy a certain 13 year old looked up to….asked for his autograph, he said…just photo day kid…my Mom was not pleased and was quite loud about it….some players were good about it though, and another spare outfielder, Tito Landrum (sp) was very nice to me, and when we were in the stands I can’t recall, must have been before the game, I saw Jack Buck talking to 2 adults…mom said to go over there and ask for his autograph. I really didn’t want to as I didn’t want 2 heroes wiped out the same day…but, I stood politely at a distance and he must have seen that, and when I did finally screw up the courage to ask him for his autograph, he couldn’t have been nicer! He could have been an ass, who would know/care, but he was a very nice human being…

speaking of Jack Buck…I post this every year, Jack was so sick, he was soon to go into the hospital, and never leave….he had one more moment of greatness left in him.

Okay CL, Braves on facebook for the Wed final against the Giants. Maybe you can catch it between rain drops.. 🙂

Speaking of rain… last night mother nature dropped 3 1/2 inches of frog strangler on us here. Just goes to show you of how sneaky she can be. While we were focused on Florence, she sucker punches us with a thunder storm out of the northwest…

I fell asleep sometime around the Braves 2nd inning. I guess that explains why I am awake at 3 AM. Anyhoo, great day for the Bravos, the Phillies are dumping big time. The Nationals still think they have a chance but they have been playing the Phillies so there you go.

Well, I was in bed before the game started…I still cannot believe the braves are running away with the division! I hate even saying it we have what, 7 games with the Phils left? I mean, I know the odds, but we are braves fans, remember a team beating the snot out of the Yankees, at Yankee stadium, and still losing 3 in a row?
Lets win some more, and have the phils lose some more so those games will be meaningless!

Not me. I’m looking at the schedule and thinking we have a good chance of celebrating on our home field vs. the chasing Phillies. There are 7 games on the docket before the enemy opens a 4 gamer here. If each team can go 4-3 over that span, and that’s generous given the last week, our magic number will sit at 5 when that series kicks off. Then we can win it on the field… as it should be.

What time is the game today? I only got a few hours sleep last night. Woke up at 0530, worked on the book some more, but I’m getting r-e-a-l-l-y sleepy now. I don’t want to miss the rare chance to see them play.

Okay, the Braves finally get a revue to go their way. I was thinking the ump had a pretty good view of the play so it was doubtful his call would be overturned but who knows with the wacky New York calls this season.

Braves magic number reduced to 11. To be honest, it was one heck of a road trip for the Braves. I was thinking a .500 trip would have been super. It is also only right for the Braves to sweep the Giants after they swept the Braves in Atlanta.

Now, if only the Nits can sweep the Fight’ns and not bring too much rain with them this weekend.

So, it is still early but the Nats are beating the Phillies like a drum with 3 home runs so far. It is the top of the 6th but Nola is already out of the game.
By the end of the night, the Braves should be 7 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies and Washington despite having won 5 in a row remains 8 1/2 game back.

Watching the game on Facebook yesterday reminded me of why I hate being confined to watching anything on a computer. Still, Anibal did a masterful job of escaping some pretty tight situations. It also was a reminder of how a stellar defense can be the difference maker in a major league game.

Now, we can all get back to hating on the Nationals full time.

I’ll be honest though, that Soto kid is pretty impressive.

Likely Scherzer will start against the Bravos Friday night but as we have seen, he is beatable.

tried and failed to see the end of the game on fb…man, is that stupid…had trouble finding the link even….no luck via facebook…had to google it…seems the game was over by the time I got to the page….
hopefully a one year experiment. Has anyone seen ratings????

MLB looks at facebook as being just another revenue stream. One that fills MLB confers as opposed to local franchises.

I get it, it is all about the Benjamins, it is a pro sport. Oh how I miss the days of the superstations.

Heck, I miss getting ball games on the radio. I can recall the time spent with my dad and big brother sitting in the car listening to the triple A Richmond ball games.. Sigh, talk about quality time with your dad….

CL, Josie and I were talking about NC situation with Florence and you realize you are going to get hammered from two directions. First it the rain and the storm surge and all that water and then when the storm heads inland and dumps all that rain water in the rivers and you low landers will be beset with floodwaters again.

It will be a good month before the water levels return to normal there… Just saying…

Yeah, there are many possibilities, Gil. I’ve been through every hurricane since Hazel in 1954. Hazel brought winds of 154 mph with a 18′ storm surge.

I can’t even remember all the names.

Floyd was a heavy rain, slow mover that lingered for days. I think it was something like 48″ of rain which brought total devastation to many areas around rivers and low-lying areas. Entire communities were underwater. I saw photos where the only things above water were the overpasses.

Fran was a high-level Cat 2 that followed on the heels of Bertha which was a high-level Cat 1. That one was bad, leaving severe damage to trees, a lot of roof damage, etc.

Through all of them, since my arrival on earth back in …. well, a long time ago…. my home lost only a few shingles. Fran took down 17 big 125’+ Carolina pines in my backyard and that was a mess, but it could be cleaned up.

I STILL hold fast to the prayers said. I STILL hold fast to the words of God Himself. I’ll never give in to anything contrary to the scriptures I know. And I’ll always hold tight to Jesus. I’ll also hold fast to dear people I love, some whom I’ve never met in person. I love every one of you.

Yes CL, I know you have seen a lot of storms but like they say, you don’t tempt fate. We too will prey that God protects you and Kelly as well as everyone in the path of the storm. There is always one thing I loved about storms is how fresh everything feels afterwards. I guess it is the Lords way of giving everything a good washing.

The Mets announced this afternoon that they’ll activate third baseman David Wright from the 60-day disabled list for the final homestand of the 2018 season. Wright will come off the disabled list on Sept. 25, though he won’t return to a regular role.

Wright is currently slated to start at third base for the Mets on Saturday, Sept. 29, and it sounds as though that start could mark the final game of a brilliant career that was unfortunately cut short by significant injuries. Wright said that he cannot foresee a way to continue playing baseball in the future, given his current condition, calling the very process of playing baseball “debilitating”.

I say this in full knowledge that I am a Mutts “hater”, being a good Braves fan and all…

I have always admired David Wright. I have admired his baseball talent for sure, but more so have I admired his class and character. It is probably similar to the love/hate relationship that Mets’ fans had with Chipper all those years, except that Wright never got to fully realize all the tremendous potential he had. It’s a real shame he had to be held back by injuries.

I am glad the Mets are allowing Wright to come back for this final homestand, even though activating him will nullify a portion of the insurance coverage on his salary. At first glance, I didn’t think they’d do that, but in retrospect, how could they not do this for one of their great players? Money isn’t everything, even to those NY execs.

The Braves will get to see him too, as they will be in Queens Sept. 25-27 when he’s activated. If Wright comes to the plate on any one of those days for the first time, I hope to be watching on TV so I can stand and honor him.

So true Vee, Wright was called Capt America for a reason, he embodied everything that was right about baseball, and like you, as a loyal Braves fan, it was a begrudging admiration, sort of like I feel about Ryan Zimmerman of the Nats. There are some player you can root for, you just hope they don’t beat you too badly.

So yes, I will applaud David Wright for what he has meant to the game and I won’t mind it too much if he hits a home run against the Braves as long as it doesn’t hurt the Braves in their quest to wrap up their 1st division title in five year.

Looking ahead, next season is going to be a real barn burner in the east, much like the NL West this season. The Braves, Nats and Phillies are all going to be good and the Mets too if they can stay off of the training table and on the field.

Things are quiet here on the northern front. Spotty rain but our camper is likely getting hammered, Tornado warning at the bay. Thinking about CL and likely loss of power. I expect it will be several days before she is able to communicate with the outside world.

I’m sure Klubber down in North Charleston will get some of this storm too. Always enough of it to go around. While it looks like Atlanta will be spared the brunt of this storm, I would expect some windy and damp conditions to make their way south.

The folks who will receive little news notoriety will be those folks in the mountains of the Carolinas and Virginia who will have to contend with flash flooding and swollen streams and rivers. Also the critters who will get washed down the rivers….

So, stuck with having to endure the Nationals’ broadcast the next three days but a small inconvenience compare to millions of others. We are a spoiled nation with our reliance on electricity. It is not like I can’t cope with the loss of power, I just don’t want to….

While it looks like Atlanta will be spared the brunt of this storm, I would expect some windy and damp conditions to make their way south.

Here in NEGA we are expecting a steady rain to begin Saturday night and pour for about 24 hours or so with the sun returning on Monday. Maybe some thunder here and there, but mostly just rain.I imagine we’ll stock up on a few groceries and just stay in and dry.

So apparently Gohara was already on the AAA DL. The Braves had to activate him from that DL, recall him to Atlanta, then place him on the 60-day DL. Accordng to Steve Adams at MLBTR, this actually benefits Gohara as he will get 18 extra days of ML service time as well as 18 extra days at the ML pay rate.

So, you are saying it is unlikely the Braves will get their game in Sunday afternoon. The Nits are going to hate making an extra trip back to Atlanta but then, the Cubs were not exactly thrilled at having to come back to Washington to play in front of 5,000 fans either yesterday.

So, the magic number is reduced to 9 and the Nationals last desperate hopes smashed both at the same time.

While Gausman was not as impressive as we have seen him before, he looked better than his last time out and Newk pointed to Scherzer’s wilted performance saying “See, I told you it was hot in the desert”…

For sure, the Braves had their hitting shoes on against a tired looking ball players last night.

I know I have beaten this horse to the point of exhaustion but I recall many years ago as having the same observations about another young Braves lefty, Steve Avery. I always though Steve pitched better in cool weather and he shined during the play-offs when it was temperatures dipped.

Everyone with the Braves seem to believe Newk’s biggest hang-ups is between his ears but haven’t we seen evidence of this very thing inflict other rookie pitchers in the past? And I still say the awful outing Newk experienced in New York was a turning point for him this season.

Good news, cool weather is coming, especially if the Braves face the Dodgers.

Newk at times has a little bit of Matt Wisler look in his eyes. Not always, but it seems to creep in if he starts slowly. He seems to just lack a little bit of confidence right out of the gate and depends on having his best stuff early. That’s going to be the biggest part of his next step of development… to trust his stuff even if he gets off to a slow start.

So, another big series (aren’t they all big this time of year) with the Cardinals.

The Braves don’t need to sweep but please, do not get swept… Two of three will be huge for either team.

It is this time of year where youth can be a detriment. It cannot be helped except by going through it. I think one reason the Nats are playing so well right now it the complete lack of pressure on them. The ownership signaled that they were throwing in the towel at the trade deadline. Being able to play loose is good.

So, I will watch this week and hope the Phillies choke worse that the Braves this week because the pressure is worse on them than the Braves believe it or not.

So, is it pre-mature to ponder the moves Thoppy needs/wants/must make to the Braves roster to improve the club for 2019?

Adam Duvall…. DUH! One has to wonder if he can be fixed…

Nick Markakis… Tough call if you ask me. he will be 35 next season and this season not withstanding, short of the braves picking up Bryce Harper, it is going to be a tough call. I’m thinking he may be offered at most a two year extension but I would not place any money on the bet.

Kurt Susuki… How hard will Thoppy and the Braves go after Realamuto? We know the Marlins will ask the sun and the moon for him, how many young arms will it take to pry him loose? Could the Braves get Miami to take a small planet or two for him?

Camargo/Culberson…. How soon will the Braves want to promote Austin Riley and will they put him at 3rd or left field and move Acuna to right and allow Nick to walk?

Bryce Harper/Manny Machado…. Two big name free agents who would not cost the rest of the farm but will demand a large section of the payroll. Are the Braves really one player away or do the have multiple needs?

These quests and more…. Such as, do the Braves really need Kimbrel or can the get by with Minter/Visciano?

Adam Duvall – He gets a chance in spring to win a ML bench job, but isn’t assured by any means. He does have 1 minor league option remaining. He’s also a candidate to be non-tendered as he’s entering his first arb season.

Nick Markakis – He’s a goner. I love him and he’s been absolutely everything we needed. But his time here is up. We got the best of Nick in his walk year, and that’s great for us right now, and great for him in his next deal… from someone else. AA will make a splash here.

Kurt Suzuki – Also a goner. See above regarding Nick and re-read it for Zuk. I believe this is another position where AA will make a splash… and not necessarily with JTR.

Camargo/Culberson – Johan Camargo might have won the 3B job this year, and Austin Riley might find himself included in a big trade for a catcher or starting pitcher (foreshadowing). Then again, that could flip. But I doubt we’ll see both Camargo and Riley on the same roster. As for Culby, he has endeared himself to Braves brass as well as Braves fans. His emergence as the super-utility guy allows Johan to remain at 3B, or Riley, etc.

Bryce Harper/Manny Machado – I have a hard time seeing Manny in Atlanta. It’s just not an ideal fit given the talented youth concentrated around our IF already. But Harper? I wouldn’t say probably, but I’d certainly say possible. I do think OF is where AA will shop in the FA market.

Kimbrel or Minter/Vizcaino – I have a gut feeling that unless BOS really blows Kimbrel away with their offer, AA will bring him back home.

I believe AA will address catcher via trade, and I believe he will address OF via FA unless a favorable trade materializes. And I think he’ll go big in both areas. I do believe he’ll make a real run at Kimbrel, and that someone is going to have to seriously overpay to sway him elsewhere. I think AA will also bring in a top tier pitcher, giving up some of his “capital” to achieve it.

And I believe that if he’s moderately successful at addressing 3 of those 4 goals, ATL will be a force to deal with in the NL.

After pondering this for a little minute, I do wonder if AA might focus his assets and capital toward pitching/catching and possibly move RAJ to RF and fill LF with Austin Riley? I could see Riley being a Pat Burrell kind of LF. And we know he has the arm for it. Perhaps he’ll play some OF in a winter league somewhere. And maybe that’s a reason why he wasn’t brought up in September.

Bumgarner? Why would the Giants trade their ace? Well, they need to restock quickly, and trading Bumgarner, who will be a FA in 2020 anyway, is the quickest way to do that. Plus, they really can’t afford to keep him and do anything else. The team holds an option for this season at $12M, which is a steal for MadBum, but will push their payroll close to the luxury tax threshold, meaning they won’t really be able to address any of their multiple needs via FA. In other words, they’re old and mediocre… the worst place you can be.

Would the Braves empty the cupboard for 1 year of MadBum? Well, given the $12M contract attached and the lack of control, he won’t cost as much as a guy like deGrom. Oh… he’ll cost alot, but not “Mark Teixeira” alot. And yes, deGrom would be he best choice, but that would be Teixeirian in scope… and to a division rival to boot.

Adding both MadBum and JT Realmuto is purely fantasy, though. If the Braves chose to trade for Bumgarner, they would then have to completely empty the system for JTR. It would have to be one or the other, but not both.

So what if AA took Kolby Allard, Max Fried and William Contreras and went after a catcher like the Cards’ Carson Kelly, who is a good looking young catcher blocked by Yadier Molina? I gotta tell ya, I’d almost rather go down that road than flush the pipeline for JTR.

Vee, I am loath to create another Texas with Braves prospects. Okay, to get quality, you have to give quality, that is a given but over playing is not the rout to go, especially as the Braves are blocked from the international market for all intents and purposes.

The Braves have some pretty attractive trade pieces but no one wants to be on the bad end of a trade deal. That is why free agent signing might make more sense, especially with the Braves having payroll space next season.

What every team has to be aware of is how quickly a team’s fortune can change from can’t miss to hugely disappointing. Those late arriving folks on the bandwagon are extremely fickle.

Okay, like I have said before, it is often the weather after the hurricane that is a problem. We have had 5 confirmed tornadoes touch down this afternoon in the Richmond area, all south of the river so far. There were also several that touched down in south central VA, (area north of NC)

So, we are still awaiting word from Margie, I suspect she is still without power and hopefully she had done all of the pre hurricane stuff like food and water plus filled he bath tub with water for toilet flushing etc.

Sigh… The Braves are making it very hard on themselves. A couple of wins would do wonders to restore the spirit of thousands of Braves fans far and wide. To be fair, an awful lot of pitches were called balls that have been called strikes in the past.

So, Anibal Sanchez will take his turn in the barrel tonight. Maybe we can get to the 5th inning without being down 5 runs but then again, who knows.

As bad as it is for we Braves fans, think of how frustrating it must be to be a Phillies fan… HA!

Sure, most of the storms were south and west of me, we still got 3-1/4 inches of rain but it’s all good. As far as Margie is concerned, all of us are waiting to here from her. My guess is she still is without power. We told he she could come stay with us but she said it was not her first rodeo and was riding it out. She didn’t say anything about swimming though.

Hi Chris! No word yet from Margie…
A year none of us could have predicted…
which I keep trying to remind myself when the braves look so unplayoff-y
anything we get is golden. Even if they get swept in 3 (which feels like a real possibility depending on who we face in the 1st round) at least the kids will have some real playoff experience….

Ber, last week this time they looked like they could storm (no pun intended… well maybe a little bit) right through the NL to the World Series. Now they look like they’ll go home quickly. But those are the inconsistencies of a young team. There’s just no way to predict these cats.

just went back a few days and saw some prognostications on who the bravos might target in the off season either via trade or fa. the good news is that there is a lot of money coming off the books, either via bad contracts going away or guys entering free agency. forgive me if this has been discussed before but i thought i’d post. right now, the braves are on the hook for $51 million and change for 2019 payroll, most of which is going to freddie, teheran (trade bait anyone?) with the balance going to just three others in o’day, flowers, and ender. there are some guys like gausman (5.6m in ’18), vizcaino (3.4 m in ’18) too. the rest of the existing roster that we expect will return (i.e. acuna, albies, swanson, folty, freeman et al) will all get raises, especially those further along in the arb process but the good news is that if they want to make a big splash they can and still be around their current payroll of about $118m. i won’t even ponder what they may do with it but i’ll just hope they don’t try to hamstring anthopolous this off-season after what they have done this year. here’s the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SgDNu7upLALXCf59fcrANGZtDLdiRaL7PB1aUcpGB0M/pubhtml

Yes Klobber, the topic has been broached a time or two but looking at the spread sheet linked, One has to be amazed at what this young Braves team has achieved. Talk about a bargain basement collection.

It is a team right out of “Moneyball” … Billy Bean would be envious.

For sure, lots of room on the payroll for a Bryce Harper if the Braves were so inclined but I think Thoppy will go another route. That is, spreading the money around a bit rather than getting hemmed in by one massive contract. The only teams that can afford to do that are Boston, LA, Chicago and New York. Of course three of those teams are at or near the luxury cap now so who knows?

Big win for the Bravos yesterday with Touki pitching like a seasoned vet. It bodes well for the future IMO.

So here we go… the big 4-gamer with the enemy begins tonight. From their perspective, they have to split just to keep their post-season hopes on life support. From our perspective, we just need to go out and play solid baseball. That’s it.

Tonight, Gausman vs. Velasquez. If I could hand pick a starter to kick off this series, it’d be Kevin Gausman. He’s 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 4 home starts at SunTrust Park since being rescued from BAL.

And not that it matters too much, Vince Velasquez lasted just 2.0 innings in his last start vs. the Marlins, giving up 4 ER. Also, he’s failed to pitch into the 6th inning in 7 straight starts.

So just go out and play ball, boys. That’s it. Let’s knock that magic number down to 4 tonight and kick their gasping playoff hopes in the… well, where it hurts.

Back with you..somewhat….guys. We’re safe but the house is damaged. Have no idea when repairs will get done. There’s only one route open in/out of Wilmington, which is badly delaying everything. Delivery trucks are desperately needed, train tracks are either under water or washed out, and the airport is still closed. 74/76 is it. Grocery stores are flat out. I want God to explain this to me.

I couldn’t relate it all if I had to, Gil. Most of Kelly’s bedroom ceiling is in the floor. The eyewall of the storm went through us like a buzzsaw. Catching 30″ of driving rain in buckets was a round-the-clock chore. It wasn’t a drip, it was like a faucet being wide open. I told Kelly I did not approve of having a waterfall in her room. She didn’t even laugh. I did manage to drag her bed away from where the ceiling fell in so she could catch a few quick naps now and then. Water was in the walls, pouring into the room from around the bow window. Just unreal.

Thanks, Chris! Gotta few extra thousand $$ that may have fallen between the couch cushions? lol We’ll make it but it sure is nerve-wracking. We saw a little black snake (maybe 20″ long) outside the bow window in her bedroom and are hoping that nothing can crawl/fall in through the hole. Don’t know if the tarp that is now over it would keep things out. (All wildlife are trying to find dry place.)

74/76 is the only route currently open into Wilmington, and it’s bumper-to-bumper with people trying to get back in.

CL if i had a few grand i would hire a crew to fly in and fix your house! i’ve been where you are and it’s no fun. after it’s all over though you will have a new appreciation for the little things in life. at least that’s been my experience.i wish you both the very, very best and hope no creepy crawlies decide that you have a suitable living space. please continue to keep us posted.

Thank you, V! Those prayers are being heard, believe me! Can’t go into all of it right this minute, but amazing events are happening to us that only God could arrange. Three angels are out in my almost-one-acre yard raking and cleaning it for me. Names are Mandy and her daughters Grace and Mercy. That’ll give you a clue!
Workmen to do all the repairs are trying to find a route into Wilmington but it’s really hard. The water around here is simply unprecedented and the rivers here (which are downstream from everything) haven’t even crested yet. I’ll see if I can upload some pics somewhere and post a link.

He was pretty impressive last night wasn’t he? The best thing was he was throwing strikes and the umpire had a bit of a mystery strike zone last night but umpires are human and sometimes they get fooled on pitches too.

Rookies don’t often get the benefit of the doubt.

Now, Bryce Harper who managed to get himself thrown out in the 12th inning after striking out. I understand he is frustrated but he needs to understand that the umpires are the ones who call balls and strikes and just understand that when he is not playing, he hurts his team.

Let the manager file complaints and with MLB. They will work to correct it.

Dale Murphy posed a very good opinion piece in the Athletic the other day pointing out that the umpires are way too confrontational but so are the players. Everyone need to take it down a notch.

:-)… That was fun, wasn’t it? Is it me or does Sobotka look more effective than Minter?

Now Acuna… The rookie had the team cover up his misplay. It was a shame it cost Julio a win but it was a team win.

I told Josie last night, there should be team errors assigned on misplays. The rookie sure would have gotten one as well as Markakis when he let a carom get by him in the ninth. I’ll give him a pass on the first one earlier but he should have know the second one was going to bounce back hard.

But it’s all good. the Nats were/are eliminated. The Braves can clinch with Folty on the mound with the game being televised on big Fox tomorrow too.

CL!!!! Very sorry to hear about all the problems y’all are having! 😦 I’m sure you have thought of this, but with all the chaos , I thought I would mention they will most likely have to tear down the plaster walls (assuming they are plaster, not wood/stone) for fear of black mold down the road…
If I win the lottery in the near future, I will be indeed be sending a few thousand your way!

You have a generous and kind heart, Ber. Thank you. I know you would do just that!

Yes, the ceiling in Kelly’s room and the kitchen have to be replaced. The walls and carpets in her room and the adjacent BR have to be replaced. Kelly will be camping out in the family room for a while.

There are missing shingles but I actually have a bundle that was left over from when the roof was replaced a couple of years ago. There are three holes in the roof, 1 really big, 1 smaller but deeper (like a puncture), and one small one.

well, was out and about (in a car with no radio, and a phone that mlb keeps me from getting braves stations, w/o coughing up moola) but wow!!! Congrats Braves!!!! can’t believe this happened, can you? I mean, it was possible, sure…but Snit is the Manager of the year, period. I worry if Milwaukee could somehow get past the Cubs , Craig Counsell might win it…do they vote just on the regular season, or including the playoffs for Manager of the year awards?

On the MOY question, I have no idea but the difference to me is the Brewers pretty much went all in to win this season, the Braves did it with a K-Mart payroll…. AKA, the team was loaded with rookies…

But yes, it was fun and I wish we could have heard Chip and Joe call the game but a bit of national exposure didn’t hurt. Now, I hope it is a dog fight to the end in the other two divisions and they have to have a one game play off to get to the play offs.

Meanwhile, the Braves can now re-set their rotation and rest guys in the pen.

i can’t answer your question specifically relating to the MOY but if the rules are the same for the other post season awards (Cy, ROY, MVP etc) then it’s solely based on regular season. honestly, in the NL, who else is more deserving than Snit? nobody saw the bravos coming this year, not even the front office!

So, a week of allowing subs the opportunity to get in some at bats and playing time.

Mark Bowman said Thoppy refused to think about it until Friday night because he did not want to jinx the team… Yep, and I bet he didn’t want to say Folty had a no hitter going yesterday either.

So, a week to pare down the roster. A couple who I don’t look to be in the mix: Adam Duvall would be the first to go, I would rather keep Lane Adams as a reserve outfielder.

I think Lucus Duda has done enough to be the primary left handed bat off the bench as opposed to Preston Tucker.

Rio Ruiz will also be off the roster and on stand-by duty.

Ryan Flaherty is on the bubble but we shall see.

With all the off days built in, I don’t see the need for 13 pitchers.

I think Newk pitched himself off the roster. A shame but he will be back next year and a year older and wiser.

Aniba, Folty and Kevi Gausman are locks. At this point I think it will be Julio over new comer Touki Toussaint as far as starting pitchers.

Relievers? In my opinion Sobotka has earned a spot, likely Sam Freeman, Viz looks to be healthy. Jonny Venters will be there. Then we have a whole slew of flip a coin… Biddle, Winkler, Carle, Jackson all have had some spotty performances of late. A.J. Minter still has been experiencing lower back tightness but will likely be there.

Allard, Fried, Wilson I doubt will be on the team but who knows for sure?

One really good thing, it won’t be a one game ply-off which to me is a real crap shoot. Yankees/Athletics? One really good team is going to be one and done… NL wild card? Two exhausted teams will expend even more energy but between the Cubs/Brewers and Dodgers/Rockies, one will be sitting in the bar along side the Nationals looking in…

So, a win chalked up by the White team… 2-1 good guys. Allard did not make an appearance by Fried put in a nice 2 inning stint.

Lane Adams making his case to be considered to be added to the roster with a ground rule double for an RBI and a solo homer, both off Aaron Nola. I am sure the Phillies have to be completely demoralize to get not only swept but by the Braves travel squad.

Adam Duvall would be the first to go, I would rather keep Lane Adams as a reserve outfielder.

Agree

I think Lucus Duda has done enough to be the primary left handed bat off the bench as opposed to Preston Tucker.

Easiest call to make.

Rio Ruiz will also be off the roster and on stand-by duty. Ryan Flaherty is on the bubble but we shall see.

Both are off.

Barring the “I” word which I will not even type, I’m betting we see this roster for the Division Series. And yes, GIl, you are right… the built in off days and shortened rotation will allow for just 8 in the bullpen and 5 on the bench.

Rotation:
Folty, Gaus, Anibal, Julio

Touki is more valuable out of the pen, and Julio either starts or doesn’t.

Lineup:
Roñ, Ender, Freddie, Kakes, Johan, Zuk/Flow, Ozzie, Dans

Slam dunk.

Bench:
Flow/Zuk, Rivera, Culberson, Duda, LAdams

Gotta have the 3rd catcher; it allows you to use Flow/Zuk as a very valuable RH bat off the bench. And I want the speed of LAdams late in the game. Not to mention he can play all 3 OF positions if needed. Anybody remember how valuable Deion Sanders was in the playoffs?

Bullpen:
Viz, AJ, Wink, Biddle, Venters, Brach, Touki…

And at that point, that last bullpen spot is the toughest call for me.

Sobotka has looked amazing in a very brief time. Carle has pitched well enough over the course of the season to earn it. Touki is the only real long option, so Fried might be considered also. But I’m going with Carle because he’s done over a longer period. Sorry Chad, you’ll get yours next year.

Bowman penned this morning that Snit was leaning towards giving Newk a start Wednesday against the Mets. A final look to determine which left handed starter to keep on the roster, Newk or Fried who may also get a start this week.

I think it is amazing that things are still so unsettled in the NL Central and NL West. Always fun to take it to the wire.

Nothing like a slap of reality… My go to football team, the Va Tech Hokies managed to lose to Old Dominion Saturday.. Would be like Alabama losing to Tuskegee. Tech always seams to take Division II teams too lightly.

Now, that should inspire Braves fans to know that this Braves team is so unpredictable that they could as easily go 11-0 in the play-off as get swept 0-3 in the opening series.

You’re so kind, Saltman! Thank you for thinking of me. It’s very trying right now, but eventually everything will be restored, rebuilt, and put back in order. Meanwhile, we have electricity, internet, food, clothing and each other. Big hugz to you, my friend!

An observation on the Braves…. I don’t know how many folks have noticed this by Johan Camargo had too very good at bats in which he had two run singles with two outs. Huge hits… and both were on two strike pitches away where he drove it thru the hole between short and third against the shift.

To me that is very telling as to how much he has matured as a hitter. Being willing to cut down on his swing and understanding that two run singles win a lot of ball games. Just saying…

I think Johan has cemented the 3B position in ATL. I know there is hype around Austin Riley, but I think he can be moved to LF. And even if Riley hits like we think he is capable of hitting, he’d have to go a long way to outproduce Johan, not to mention the Gold Glove caliber defense we’ve gotten.

Johan may not have received quite the same hype as Roñ or Ozzie, but he’s been just as important. (Dansby too, but that’s another topic for another time.)

I would love nothing more than to read that Riley has been added to the Arizona Fall League roster to play LF. Or at the very least is in Orlando working with Instructional League coaches on the position change.

We need an OF anyway, and this just seems like due diligence. If successful, it would allow A-Train to redirect his available assets toward pitching and catching. And it would also fit with the winning trend of adding 1 rookie position player per year. If it doesn’t work, then you know and you can then reassess your goals with respect to Riley and Johan.

And in case someone hasn’t been paying attention, Adam Duvall has done nothing to make himself a viable candidate for regular playing time in our OF.

I think Duvall’s best approach would to dedicate himself to perfecting his craft so he can come into spring training ready to make a positive impression on the powers that be because right now, he is very much on the expendables list.

Yes, more and more I think the Braves are leaning towards Carmago as their everyday third baseman so there is really only one potential position available for young Riley.

I would think the possibility of having Markakis return will be dependent on if the Braves believe Austin can provide more offense than Nick and how well he takes to playing in the outfield.

It makes my head hurt to dwell to much on the future. I am hoping that I will still be heavily engaged in the play offs and writing about the Braves potential match-ups in the World Series…. 🙂

I think Duvall’s best approach would to dedicate himself to perfecting his craft so he can come into spring training ready to make a positive impression on the powers that be

I believe Adam Duvall is a strong non-tender possibility. First, he’s set to enter arb for the first time coming off a $645,000 deal for 2018.

Second, this is not going to be an easy active roster to crack in 2018, especially as an OF. He’s not a starting caliber OF, and Kakes’ spot will either be filled by Austin Riley or from the outside with a bigger name. And while Duvall does have 1 minor league option remaining, my next point reduces its impact.

Third, and maybe most importantly, with all the young prospects moving into the upper minors, 40-man roster spots are going to be very hard to come by. Pitchers Huascar Ynoa and Patrick Weigel will need to be added to be protected from Rule 5 eligibility. Same for C Alex Jackson & IF Travis Demeritte, although neither of them are likely to be drafted. Still, a 30-year old Duvall may simply be cleared out to make room for one a younger prospect.

V, you got anything, my, friend?? I’m up to my ears with insurance investigators, insurance adjusters, etc. Ever think about that term “insurance ADJUSTER”? They adjust what the company told you when you bought the policy. They never intended to pay what you paid for. That’s all right. I know Somebody who said He’d meet ALL of my needs. All of ’em.

A couple of further observations.. While most of us are focused on the up coming play-offs, I suspect somewhere deep in the bowls of Sun Trust Park there is a team of analyst pouring over data as to which free agents to target and who besides Harper and Machato could be enticed play for Atlanta to improve the team next season.

That and which prospects are expendable and who are sure fire keepers.

I think Zuk is a goner as well as Markakis. Things could change but both will be looking for retirement packages.

Talking Chop was opining that they thought Brach would be offered an extension but have they forgotten Darren O’Day? I sure don’t see the Braves being willing to shell out a huge contract for Kimbrel. Yes, I would love to have him back but I just don’t see it at this point.

Foe sure, I only see two everyday position spots opening next season. Catching and left field (because Acuna will be moved to right).

Not saying for sure that Markakis will be allowed to walk but just thinking it is highly unlikely he will get a huge payday at age 35. One of the trickiest things to do in baseball is knowing when to cut ties with an aging players even when they may well have a few good seasons left.

I am always reminded of the Redskins pretty much keeping intact a aging offensive line following a Superbowl and the entire team getting old all at once. T’was ugly…

To be fair, the Braves beat the reliever brought in behind Syndegaard, Thor shut the Braves out for 6 innings and made them look bad while doing it… While trades are seldom made between division rivals but I would be more than happy to take either Syndegaard and/or deGrom off the Mets hands…

If he had an MRI, it’s not just precautionary as the Braves tried to paint it earlier. Even though he hasn’t produced the eye-popping numbers of some of his brethren, he’s been uber important to this team in so many other ways. I don’t want to lose him for the playoffs.

Like toes, wrist are not to be trifled with. Mark DeRosa was talking yesterday on MLB Central about how he blew out his wrist trying to play thru an injury. Another player of importance was shut down day before yesterday because of the same injury. While I would hate to lose Dansby for the play-offs, I would hate it more to lose him for his career.

I doubt it is a hammock bone issue but there are several tendons that could rupture. It is a cautionary tale…

I was bad last night as I gave up on the Braves in the 6th inning and went to bed… My loss…

I never got around to typing it here, but I have become more and more impressed with Dansby the SS. I am not sure if it was even mentioned here…and it’s been a few weeks, but it was somewheres(it’s like I have a photographic memory!) out of town , and he made one of the most amazing plays I’ve seen by a braves shortstop….

Ber, you must be talking about the play in Arizona which resulted inn the final out of the last game of the series.

Now, something totally different…

I was talking today with one of my acquaintances who is a huge Nationals fan. I broached the subject of Bryce Harper possibly moving on after this season and he said “let him go” he said they have Soto and Robles to take his place and he would rather see the Nats use the money Harper would command to acquire starting pitching.

We agreed that the Nats waited too long to make their move and Harper basically phone it in prior to the All-Star break.

Official word from the #Braves on Dansby Swanson is a partially torn ligament in his left hand. Swanson will undergo daily treatment in Atlanta for the remainder of the regular season. He will be re-evaluated for postseason

Bummer….

translation: We will give him a cortizon shot and pray he has a rapid recovery. I suspect when he originally hurt it it was torn but he has played thru it. It is what it is….